The Yok

The Yok is an artist from Perth, Australia who currently resides in New York. The SRK met him through a project in Beijing and have been good friends ever since and we share his love of traveling and exploring the world. The Yok also runs the brilliant Kingbrown Magazine.

There are 8 x the amount of people in NY than in my home town [Perth], so what ever it is you are into there is an audience here for you. It's inspiring to live in a city that is supportive of creative projects and people.

I'm inspired by travel, going to new countries and exploring their culture, their beliefs, fabels, costumes, weapons, food...... just taking in everything and bringing it into my work in fun ways.

I was just talking to my Mum yesterday about how my dad wanted me to be an accountant. We were in the room with the guy to make my school choices and I wouldn't speak unless I was allowed to do art.

The best places to get inspiration for me [in Perth] were in the outdoors, at the beach, in the forests down south, any where outside, skateboarding at the shitty shopping centre. I would practice painting in the abandoned schools, factories and whatever I could find.

Sheryo is a rad lady with serious skills. She has such bizarre ideas it forces me to stretch my imagination on a daily basis. Working with your girlfriend also allows you to do a lot, paint and draw all the time, talk about new walls and new ideas 24/7. This constant life style has seen both of us progress.

It's hermit style at our home/studio, but with Sheryo it's much better than hermiting by yourself. We talk about ideas, swap references, discuss themes, eat chocolate and do sketches before we go out and paint.

Cities to visit next: Lome in Togo - West Africa, they still have a healthy Voodoo culture out there that would be rad to explore. It's where Voodoo first started and I would like to see all the arts and crafts that surround this culture.